ABSTRACT
Light is energy moving through space. The motion of light is often compared to that of waves rippling on the surface of a pond, with crests and troughs. Laboratory analysts take advantage of the interaction of light with samples to obtain information about those samples. Spectrophotometers measure the interaction between light and a sample in order to obtain information about the sample. When light shines on an analyte in a sample, the substance may absorb some or all of the energy of the light. Spectrophotometry is about the measurement of this absorption of light energy by an analyte. Spectrophotometers are available in a number of models from various manufacturers. The purpose of quantitative applications of spectrophotometry is to determine the concentration of an analyte in a sample. In a typical situation, the laboratory scientist knows the concentration of the stock solution and the desired concentration of the final solution.
